ALL CALORIES ARE NOT EQUAL

ALL CALORIES ARE NOT EQUAL

By Dr Jeanine St Bernard MBBS, MPH

We have been told for many years that if we want to lose weight we should consume less calories and exercise more. Right?

If this is true then if I am accustomed to having 2,500 calories per day and I reduce that to 2,000 then I should lose weight automatically. Unfortunately this is not the case. Two foods can have the same amount of calories but one will promote weight loss and the other will help me to gain weight.

Calories are an important consideration when it comes to losing weight but it is not the amount of calories as much as it is the type of calories that we consume,(1) that is important.

When we eat foods, the nutrients can enter our bloodstream quickly or slowly.  Foods that enter our bloodstream slowly will cause us to lose weight and foods that enter our bloodstream quickly will cause us to gain weight. (2)

Sugar from a cookie will enter your bloodstream faster than sugar from lentils. The sugar that enters your blood faster, that is not being used at that time it is consumed, will be stored as fat. The sugar that enters your blood slowly from the lentils will have enough time to be used by your body , that is, it will be metabolized or broken down and therefore does not get to be stored as fat.

References:

1.       Ludwig D. Dietary glycemic index and obesity. J Nutr. 2000; 130:280S-283S

2.       Hyman M. Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss, 200